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'Real Steel': Hugh Jackman on acting with robots and kids

Hugh Jackman has belted out songs on Broadway, fought mutants and slayed vampires. This Friday, audiences will see the Australian actor side-by-side with boxing robots in "Real Steel."

The "Real Steel" premiere at Universal CityWalk on Sunday featured a red carpet flanked by fans as well as robots from the film. As music from the soundtrack blared, Jackman and director Shawn Levy took some time to give a handful of lucky fans tickets to the premiere screening.

So which is harder -- working with those robots or working with children? "Both of them are easy," said the "X-Men" alum, who shares a lot of screen time with 12-year-old Dakota Goyo, who plays his son.

"The great thing about robots is they don't eat any of the catering. And kids can be tricky … but I was with [Dakota] for three months, and never once did he annoy me," Jackman said. "I mean, I have an 11-year-old -- they're annoying every day.

"I don't know -- he's from another planet."

The action/sci-fi "Real Steel" is a departure from director Levy's past comedic fare, but Evangeline Lilly saw the director's background as an asset.

"He was always looking for the funny," said the actress, who plays the owner of a boxing gym for robots.

"He's looking for the levity, and he's looking for the humor, and it's really relieving as an actor to be able to do that."

Actor Anthony Mackie, like many involved with the film, touted it as a robot movie with heart.

"I feel like when you look at it, it's kind of like 'Rocky' but with robots, and at the end of the movie, you'll care and you'll cheer," Mackie said. “So many times you go to the movies and you leave unfulfilled, and that's not what 'Real Steel' is."